So the Olympics have been over for a while, but I wanted to draw one last parallel between the Olympics and God. This is an idea that was first brought up by Pastor Pete up here in Charlottesville at CFA.
Pastor Pete proposed a question to everyone. It was one that he thought of after seeing a commercial advertising the Olympics. You probably saw it at least once. It showed images with the voices of athletes in the background saying things such as, "I haven't watched TV in a year." Rather than doing many of the things that we commonly do everyday, they are out training. They are working hours upon hours to achieve the ultimate goal, a gold medal.
With that said, Pete proposed a question. Why aren't we as committed for God as they are for the gold. They are going for something that is temporary. You can't take your gold medal or your legacy with you when you die. The fact of the matter is that this life is temporary. Scripture tells us to store our treasures in Heaven and not on this earth. You might ask how exactly do we do this. We do this by living by the scriptures and living for God. It's all about dying to ourselves and our desires. What would happen if we devoted as much time to God and reaching the world as the Olympic athletes do to win the gold?
Although I have so much more to say on this topic, I don't really know how to express it in words. Just think about all that could be accomplished if we died to ourselves to achieve the ultimate goal, God's goal.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Pay Up!
Luckily the famous players lockout of the NFL ended soon enough for us to have football last year. Unfortunately though, there is another, lesser known lockout going on RIGHT NOW. It has definitely gained more attention recently though. The refs are on strike and have been replaced for now. It has been said that the temporary refs could start the season. Well I watched a little bit of preseason action, and I must say they were horrible last weekend. I know they were probably nervous, but there is no way they will be nearly as good as the actual refs (who many thought did a horrible job as it is). I don't know how far apart the two sides are, but it can't be that big. I just can't believe the NFL would be willing to compromise its product. The quality of the football games will drop if this isn't ended soon. I can remember a few terrible pass interference calls that were made. These are game changers because in the NFL it's a spot foul, so it ends up being like a 30+ yard penalty (by the way they should definitely change it to only 15 yards like college). It seems to me that the NFL has gotten kind of arrogant in thinking that they don't need the refs and can do it all on their own.
That brings me to another point. Do you see any similarities in your life? As human beings, we inherently try to take the credit for ourselves. We try to do things on our own. In doing so, we sometimes shun God from our lives. Everything will be going well, and it's times like that that are the most dangerous. Often times, it is the times when things are tough that we lean the most on God for help, but in times of prosperity, we kind of ignore him. We don't need him. We've got it all under control. That creates kind of an oscillating wave motion where we continually move toward and away from God, with peaks and valleys. That is precisely the kind of motion we want to avoid. Just as the NFL needs to see they can't do it on their own and compromise with the officials to maintain the quality of football that we're all used to, we need to see that we need God in all we do in order to be all we can be. God never stops loving us, so why do we stop loving him. God and love are eternal, not just our crutch.
Now I don't know how great that connection was between the NFL and God, but I am starting to think more about God in these everyday events and how we draw connections. I am very big on analogies, so there will definitely be more to come.
That brings me to another point. Do you see any similarities in your life? As human beings, we inherently try to take the credit for ourselves. We try to do things on our own. In doing so, we sometimes shun God from our lives. Everything will be going well, and it's times like that that are the most dangerous. Often times, it is the times when things are tough that we lean the most on God for help, but in times of prosperity, we kind of ignore him. We don't need him. We've got it all under control. That creates kind of an oscillating wave motion where we continually move toward and away from God, with peaks and valleys. That is precisely the kind of motion we want to avoid. Just as the NFL needs to see they can't do it on their own and compromise with the officials to maintain the quality of football that we're all used to, we need to see that we need God in all we do in order to be all we can be. God never stops loving us, so why do we stop loving him. God and love are eternal, not just our crutch.
Now I don't know how great that connection was between the NFL and God, but I am starting to think more about God in these everyday events and how we draw connections. I am very big on analogies, so there will definitely be more to come.
Monday, August 13, 2012
1st Weekend at the Buck Lodge
After a long wait, I am finally all moved into my house for hopefully the next 3 years. People around UVA would know it as the Buck Lodge. I am so excited for this year because of the people around me. The house is full of XA guys, and we are in what they call Chi Alpha Land.
So I moved in Saturday haven't really done much to this point. Last night I went over to another house that is lived in by a bunch of XA alumni and interns. I knew everyone there on various levels. It was really great to see these guys again and hear about what they're doing. A few are going to be interns with XA next year and a few are going to go over to Cairo to work with Dick Brogden (which if I say so myself, that is pretty awesome. That man is a hoss). To hear what they have been doing in terms of raising support and what they have to do was interesting to hear. To be honest, I don't really know what I want to do when I graduate, but I have thought about things like interning for XA or devoting a year to missions, so to hear from the guys that are doing just that was cool (not to mention it was from some UVA XA stalwarts like Robbie, Taylor, Alex, Stephen, Andy, and Colin). I've never been that guy to really hang out with people outside of my grade, but through XA I have met so many awesome older guys. Like I said these guys all graduated. It's been great to learn from them, and I am pumped that a lot of them will be around for this year or at least parts of it.
So I moved in Saturday haven't really done much to this point. Last night I went over to another house that is lived in by a bunch of XA alumni and interns. I knew everyone there on various levels. It was really great to see these guys again and hear about what they're doing. A few are going to be interns with XA next year and a few are going to go over to Cairo to work with Dick Brogden (which if I say so myself, that is pretty awesome. That man is a hoss). To hear what they have been doing in terms of raising support and what they have to do was interesting to hear. To be honest, I don't really know what I want to do when I graduate, but I have thought about things like interning for XA or devoting a year to missions, so to hear from the guys that are doing just that was cool (not to mention it was from some UVA XA stalwarts like Robbie, Taylor, Alex, Stephen, Andy, and Colin). I've never been that guy to really hang out with people outside of my grade, but through XA I have met so many awesome older guys. Like I said these guys all graduated. It's been great to learn from them, and I am pumped that a lot of them will be around for this year or at least parts of it.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Golden Head
As many people were, I was watching the women's soccer game yesterday, USA vs. Canada. What an amazing game it was! I won't say too much about the actual plays of the game because it wouldn't do it justice, but that might have been the header that propels the US to another gold medal. You had to see it! It was a historical match, and I'll leave it that.
What was so amazing was Team USA's resolve. They kept coming back just like they did in the World Cup. What an incredible group of women they are. With moments like these, people start to look up to them and put them on a pedestal. While that is a good thing, we have all heard that too much of a good thing can be bad. What people sometimes forget is that they are just people like you and me.
As wonderful and spectacular as sports moments like this may seem at the time, it is just a game. Watching the game with my brother and seeing his reaction and our combined excitement makes me think about how amazed Jesus' disciples must have felt when Jesus was resurrected. If we can be so excited, shocked, and joyful after seeing the US do what seemed to be impossible in a soccer game, how much more joyous they must have felt seeing Jesus raised from the grave! How extraordinary a moment that must have been!
I originally was just going to write about the soccer game, but thinking about it as I started writing kind of got me thinking. Surprise! By thinking, it got me thinking. I do believe that it is moments like these that can really connect us with God. They help us to see the "impossible" become possible. As society, culture, and technology changes, emotions are transgenerational. What we feel today, the original disciples and even Jesus himself felt. As a huge sports fan myself, I know the kind of emotional turmoil they can play on us. They can tap into our emotions like few other things. Think of a moment like yesterday where you're favorite team is down and all but out, and they pull off the win at the last minute. You go from borderline depressed to overwhelming joy. That must be precisely how Jesus' followers must have felt following his crucifixion. They were down and all but out, and then Jesus rose! Hallelujah!!
I hope I expressed my thoughts clearly enough. I was having a tough time getting it out. God bless!
What was so amazing was Team USA's resolve. They kept coming back just like they did in the World Cup. What an incredible group of women they are. With moments like these, people start to look up to them and put them on a pedestal. While that is a good thing, we have all heard that too much of a good thing can be bad. What people sometimes forget is that they are just people like you and me.
As wonderful and spectacular as sports moments like this may seem at the time, it is just a game. Watching the game with my brother and seeing his reaction and our combined excitement makes me think about how amazed Jesus' disciples must have felt when Jesus was resurrected. If we can be so excited, shocked, and joyful after seeing the US do what seemed to be impossible in a soccer game, how much more joyous they must have felt seeing Jesus raised from the grave! How extraordinary a moment that must have been!
I originally was just going to write about the soccer game, but thinking about it as I started writing kind of got me thinking. Surprise! By thinking, it got me thinking. I do believe that it is moments like these that can really connect us with God. They help us to see the "impossible" become possible. As society, culture, and technology changes, emotions are transgenerational. What we feel today, the original disciples and even Jesus himself felt. As a huge sports fan myself, I know the kind of emotional turmoil they can play on us. They can tap into our emotions like few other things. Think of a moment like yesterday where you're favorite team is down and all but out, and they pull off the win at the last minute. You go from borderline depressed to overwhelming joy. That must be precisely how Jesus' followers must have felt following his crucifixion. They were down and all but out, and then Jesus rose! Hallelujah!!
I hope I expressed my thoughts clearly enough. I was having a tough time getting it out. God bless!
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Are You Running the Race?
So I was reading some of 2 Chronicles today, and I came across this very simple verse.
"He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD." ~2 Chronicles 12:14
This is speaking about King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Under the reign of Solomon, Israel flourished and the Lord was with them, but that changed under the power of Rehoboam. He was not as wise as his father was. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. That might leave you wondering how he could do such a thing after seeing how God provided for his father and the kingdom of Israel. Even after fully experiencing God's blessings, he turns away. This is where that verse comes into play. He was not actively "seeking the Lord." The reason that this really stuck out to me is because I see it as a big problem today. It is not enough to declare God's glory once. It is not enough to go to church once a week and expect a loving relationship with God and for all to be well and dandy. It is true that God has freely loved us, but the Bible has also said to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind." (Luke 10:27) How can one say that they love God as described in that verse if they aren't actively seeking him out?
People today don't seek God out because they take it as an inconvenience to their lives. They are too busy, or maybe unwilling to sacrifice certain things that the Bible teaches (such as money and time). They say they love God, but at the same time, they are trying to find their happiness in the world instead of with God.
The way I see it and as Francis Chan describes in his book "Crazy Love," life is like a downward escalator. You are either moving up or down, towards God or away from God. By just going through the motions, you aren't actively moving away from God yourself, but you are nonetheless being dragged down. The ONLY way to move closer to God is to be actively seeking him by running up the escalator. At times you will meet people on the way down the escalator. They will try to grab you and pull you down with them, but you must focus on the goal that is pleasing and getting closer to God, or better yet, when you meet one of those people going down, try to grab hold of them and bring them up with you. When you see someone struggling help them out. That is what it's all about.
I don't know if you've ever tried running up a downward escalator, but it can be difficult. Fatigue can and will set in eventually. At that moment we might reach for gatorade or a protein bar to fuel us to keep going. God has provided us with everything we need for the journey. He has given us the gift that is the Bible and prayer to fuel us to continue to run toward him. The simple fact is that one cannot actively seek out God without spending time in Scripture and in prayer everyday. You will burn out without it.
Keep your eyes on the prize and NEVER stop running!
USA vs. Lithuania
Basketball is the one sport in the Olympics that I have made a point to watch. I am a huge basketball fan and a huge LeBron fan. Coming off arguably the best shooting performance in basketball history, it was to be expected to have a little trouble early against Lithuania. They were taking far too many bad shots early in the shot clock, but the real problem was with the defense. They played terrible. Time after time they would give up wide open shots and drives. It's like they forgot how to play defense. The offense only got worse in the second half, and that is why Lithuania took the lead.
Although it was close throughout, I never got the feeling that the US would lose. I just couldn't see that happening. Sure enough, with 4 minutes to go, LeBron decided enough was enough, and he was going to take command and that he did! LeBron has showed that he is the leader of this team and when they need someone to step up, he can do it and will do it. Earlier in the exhibition games against Brazil he did the same thing. They're offense was struggling so he took over and had 31 points that game, I believe.
I am a little worried about the defense though. That is 2 straight games they haven't done that well. Last game, Nigeria shot 41%. That might sound low, but for a team that only averaged 29% shooting until that game, that is quite good. I understand that was in a blowout, so they weren't as engaged as they might have been. Also against Tunisia, the same team that scored 15 points in the 1st half against Nigeria, held the lead late into the first quarter. It could be because of the perceived lack in competition that they are being kind of lackadaisical, but if they play like this again against Argentina, they will not win. I don't think they will lose because they will come out prepared, but the game today was just embarrassing.
Although it was close throughout, I never got the feeling that the US would lose. I just couldn't see that happening. Sure enough, with 4 minutes to go, LeBron decided enough was enough, and he was going to take command and that he did! LeBron has showed that he is the leader of this team and when they need someone to step up, he can do it and will do it. Earlier in the exhibition games against Brazil he did the same thing. They're offense was struggling so he took over and had 31 points that game, I believe.
I am a little worried about the defense though. That is 2 straight games they haven't done that well. Last game, Nigeria shot 41%. That might sound low, but for a team that only averaged 29% shooting until that game, that is quite good. I understand that was in a blowout, so they weren't as engaged as they might have been. Also against Tunisia, the same team that scored 15 points in the 1st half against Nigeria, held the lead late into the first quarter. It could be because of the perceived lack in competition that they are being kind of lackadaisical, but if they play like this again against Argentina, they will not win. I don't think they will lose because they will come out prepared, but the game today was just embarrassing.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Summer's Frost
Summertime is a'rollin. As a child, summertime is a time of freedom. We all know that as we grow older, it's not all the care-free fun that it used to be. It has been kind of a tough summer for me. After applying to about 15-20 jobs, I couldn't find one. That left me feeling lazy and in a way, worthless at times. One of the biggest disappointments for me is not being able to tithe. I was looking forward to sharing my money with the Lord for the first time. Aside from that I was looking to use a lot of the money from my job to do various things with Chi Alpha. Luckily I've been blessed enough that I will still be able to do many of those things.
I have had a lot of down time and time to think though. Looking back on my time, I have wasted a lot of it, but I have also had some really constructive times. Throughout the earlier years of my life, I searched for something I would want to study. I so desperately wanted to know before I went into college. I found that in 11th grade. I decided that I wanted to pursue physics. Except for a minor change to astrophysics, that has held up until this summer. My major hasn't changed yet, but what I want to do after college is kind of up in the air right now. For a while I wanted to go to graduate school and become an expert. Later on, I decided that I just wanted a job after undergrad. After the best year of my life, and such a transformative year it was, I find myself questioning what to do. I kind of feel a pull to be a pastor or minister of some sort or maybe a missionary. I have kind of repressed the idea of doing that though. It seems too difficult. I didn't trust God with my life. Then came the night of 7/19/12. I ended up watching a testimony of a girl at UVA, and immediately afterward I just started praying in adoration of God just thanking him. After probably a couple minutes I finally said to God, "I will do it. I will give my life over to you." Almost immediately I broke into tears. Keep in mind that I can't even remember the last time I cried. I am not a crier. That is the moment that I gave myself fully over to God to do what he wants to do with my life. I put my trust into him 100%. I just kind of sat there in prayer, crying my eyes out on my knees beside my bed for about 15 minutes. This all happened around 10:30 at night. I don't think I would have had that moment if I would have had a job.
That is not to say that I know exactly what to do now. I am still kind of lost in my own mind. There is a sense of comfort in knowing that God is here and knowing that I am not on my own in making these big decisions.
I have had a lot of down time and time to think though. Looking back on my time, I have wasted a lot of it, but I have also had some really constructive times. Throughout the earlier years of my life, I searched for something I would want to study. I so desperately wanted to know before I went into college. I found that in 11th grade. I decided that I wanted to pursue physics. Except for a minor change to astrophysics, that has held up until this summer. My major hasn't changed yet, but what I want to do after college is kind of up in the air right now. For a while I wanted to go to graduate school and become an expert. Later on, I decided that I just wanted a job after undergrad. After the best year of my life, and such a transformative year it was, I find myself questioning what to do. I kind of feel a pull to be a pastor or minister of some sort or maybe a missionary. I have kind of repressed the idea of doing that though. It seems too difficult. I didn't trust God with my life. Then came the night of 7/19/12. I ended up watching a testimony of a girl at UVA, and immediately afterward I just started praying in adoration of God just thanking him. After probably a couple minutes I finally said to God, "I will do it. I will give my life over to you." Almost immediately I broke into tears. Keep in mind that I can't even remember the last time I cried. I am not a crier. That is the moment that I gave myself fully over to God to do what he wants to do with my life. I put my trust into him 100%. I just kind of sat there in prayer, crying my eyes out on my knees beside my bed for about 15 minutes. This all happened around 10:30 at night. I don't think I would have had that moment if I would have had a job.
That is not to say that I know exactly what to do now. I am still kind of lost in my own mind. There is a sense of comfort in knowing that God is here and knowing that I am not on my own in making these big decisions.
Summer Reading
I have never been a reader. I don't like reading. It's just not something that I do for enjoyment. The only problem with that is that you can learn a lot from reading, and I do want to learn. At the beginning of the Summer, I went on this retreat with an organization at my college called Chi Alpha. It is a Christian fellowship that can be found at many universities across the United States. This particular retreat was the week right after finals, and it was at the beach (in the Outer Banks of North Carolina). Chi Alpha groups from up and down the east coast from Vermont to Florida were there, about 150 of us in all.
So that is the set up. I have never read a book on my own time for enjoyment before, and I just finished my first year at UVA. At this time in my life, Chi Alpha has already made a huge impact on me. Each time a speaker came up, they recommended a book to read. I didn't get any books while I was there, but as soon as I got home I ordered some from Amazon. I order 3 books in all. The books were "7 Days that Divide the World" and "God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?" both by John Lennox. These kind of combat the notion that science and God are mutually exclusive. The third was a more informational book entitled, "How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth." The title sums up what that one is about. I read all 3 of these in about a month probably. I won't go into details about them, but they were great reads. I might blog more about them later.
Although these books didn't completely change my mindset on reading, I do enjoy it a little more than before. For me it is still more about reading for what I get out of it rather than for enjoyment at the time of reading. Hopefully that will change, but I have definitely felt God's presence. He has gifted me with more patience and discipline, and I know it is only a matter of time if I continue to seek out God that I will find true joy in reading.
So that is the set up. I have never read a book on my own time for enjoyment before, and I just finished my first year at UVA. At this time in my life, Chi Alpha has already made a huge impact on me. Each time a speaker came up, they recommended a book to read. I didn't get any books while I was there, but as soon as I got home I ordered some from Amazon. I order 3 books in all. The books were "7 Days that Divide the World" and "God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?" both by John Lennox. These kind of combat the notion that science and God are mutually exclusive. The third was a more informational book entitled, "How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth." The title sums up what that one is about. I read all 3 of these in about a month probably. I won't go into details about them, but they were great reads. I might blog more about them later.
Although these books didn't completely change my mindset on reading, I do enjoy it a little more than before. For me it is still more about reading for what I get out of it rather than for enjoyment at the time of reading. Hopefully that will change, but I have definitely felt God's presence. He has gifted me with more patience and discipline, and I know it is only a matter of time if I continue to seek out God that I will find true joy in reading.
The New Guy
The new guy on the block is moving in. I'm excited to see where this goes. I haven't ever blogged before. The main motivation for me starting this lies behind my "blog" on Tumblr.
http://chirhomas.tumblr.com
Tumblr isn't really a place for writing blogs. It is more of a place for pictures and quotes, so I thought I would kind of move my stuff over from there, but dive in a little deeper on here. I will probably still use that to post short ideas. A number of those I wrote down during class. I know that page is devoted entirely to religious ideas and quotes, but this blog will go beyond that. I want to write a lot about God, but I also plan on writing about sports, outdoors, workouts, and other various things. I'm excited to get started on this blogging journey! My only worry is keeping up with it. Right now i have a broken wrist, so it makes typing slow. I will be going back to school soon, so that might also slow me down. We'll see what happens.
http://chirhomas.tumblr.com
Tumblr isn't really a place for writing blogs. It is more of a place for pictures and quotes, so I thought I would kind of move my stuff over from there, but dive in a little deeper on here. I will probably still use that to post short ideas. A number of those I wrote down during class. I know that page is devoted entirely to religious ideas and quotes, but this blog will go beyond that. I want to write a lot about God, but I also plan on writing about sports, outdoors, workouts, and other various things. I'm excited to get started on this blogging journey! My only worry is keeping up with it. Right now i have a broken wrist, so it makes typing slow. I will be going back to school soon, so that might also slow me down. We'll see what happens.
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